My Lake Edward Snatcher Tournament Recap

 

Mick Ziebell 19/03 Lunker 3/15

2/15oz R2S Bully Wa 2

What My Scale said I had

Conditions: 63-85℉, Mostly Sunny, 0-15mphSW

My Day: We got all the boats launched, then we headed to our starting spot, which was just to the South of the Public Access in the reeds. We worked our way South along the reed line with Beau pitching a jig and me throwing a frog. I think I got the first bite of the morning in some pads and reeds up by the shore. It was a small fish that got off after I had reeled it in about 10 feet. I am pretty sure it was a bass, but I'm not 100% certain. The reeds came to an end, and we worked the cattails and docks for a little bit with Beau catching two pike.  It wasn't happing, so we ran to some other reeds. I got the first keeper in the boat with the frog. Beau then caught a 2lber on a jig. Shortly after that, I got my final keeper of the day on the frog. As we worked the reeds. I would get hung up occasionally. I would put about 15lbs of pressure on my 50lb braid, and my line kept breaking, frustrating. After about the 5th time that happened, I switched to a different rod. Beau got his second keeper and missed some bites. Beau spotted what he swore was a muskie. I saw the fish but only saw its back.  I had a fish swirl on the frog but not get it. Neither Beau nor I could get it to bite again.  Beau switched to a Senko and got a couple of good fish. I switched to a Yum Dinger and missed one bite. The wind came up, and we headed to a weedline spot. I missed a couple of bites on the Havoc Pit Boss. Beau filled out his limit on the Senko. I switched to a Yum Dinger and got a couple dinks and a pike on that, and the day ended with me only getting two keepers. I thought maybe I was headed for a last-place finish, but it turns out lots of people struggled on this hot, windy day.

Results: My two fish weighed 4/05, which put me in 15th Place out of 21 anglers.   Mick Ziebell won the tournament with 19/03 and got Lunker with a 3/15 fish. Dave Smith got 2nd Place and won the Co-Angler Cash out of Dennis Lothspeich's boat. Great Job, Dave! Nate Steinbauer got 3rd. Beau came in 4th.

My Thoughts: What a frustrating day. I let the frustration get to me with Beau catching fish and me not getting bites. I think I just fished too fast and didn't concentrate on what I was doing enough. Once we left the reeds, I just couldn't get settled in mentally and didn't fish well at all. Thankfully we have two more tournaments this year for things to come together for me. On to Leech.

2021 May Recap

 And just like that, Memorial Day is over, as is the month of May in 2021. The month started with so much promise due to the cold month of April. I thought the fishing was just going to bust wide open, but it really never did. Then I started having lower back issues, and when I finally got to the Chiropractor, which I put off when the parents were down in Florida, and the second adjustment didn't make things any better, I got concerned. I really don't want a replay of 2012 when lower back issues that developed around the same time ended up with me having to shut things down in August.  So I pulled way back on activity for the final week of May and mostly rested. I was out for over 3 hours on Memorial Day, and it definitely seems like my back is improving from where I was a couple of days ago.

Topwater fishing was mostly a disappointment in May. They just don't like falling water and low water levels. My top producing lure for the month was T.H.E. Jig, the lion's share of which was sunfish. The top bass producer was the craw tube.  Crappie numbers were dismal. Bass and walleye numbers were modest and below normal. Things aren't looking good for me, reaching my goal of 1,500 bass this year. May is the month that I usually rack the numbers up, and that didn't happen. Pike and sunfish numbers were good.

Highlights of the month were the two trips I took with Chuck and Lois Steinbauer on Platte Lake. Taking several trips with Steve, getting him a 4lb bass and 3 walleyes at the Jetty. And getting out a couple of times with Todd on opening weekend; We got on a good frog bite for about an hour on Sunday morning.

Fishing In April Was Disappointing

Screen Shot Taken 4/11

Taken 5/1

 I fished every day in April except for the 1st.  The weather was just too inconsistent for the fish to get comfortable. My Fish Per Hour number dropped by three and a half per hour. As tough as the fishing was I was rarely skunked and I caught 200 plus fish for the month thanks to the fact fishing picked up in the final few days. Disappointing, but not a disaster by any means.